Electric iron and stand



Oct. 18, 1949. M. LEVEY ELECTRIC IRON AND STAND Filed Jan. 24, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

MAURICE Lsvzv Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC IRON AND STAND Maurice Levey, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application January 24, 1948, Serial No. 4,166-

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in stands for pressing irons, and, more particularly, aims to provide an iron stand comprising a base, a hinged leaf thereon for supporting an iron to be electrically heated while the bottom of the iron is downwardly forwardly inclined, means then operative for thus heating the iron, means for signalling from the stand when the iron has been heated to a predetermined temperature, roller means on the leaf for assisting gravity slide of the iron down along leaf to heating position, and a normally inoperative stop means movable at will to an operative position for halting downward descent of the iron on said roller means when itis desired to maintain the iron on the stand without further heating.

The hinged leaf is so mounted that between uses of the stand said leaf may be lowered for compact collapse against the top of the stand; and for holding the leaf elevated a simple brace means is provided, which also may be compactly collapsed against the top of the stand when the leaf is so collapsed.

A further feature of the invention is that, in regard to the contacts carried by the iron stand for coacting with the contacts on the iron when the iron is slid as above to heating position, the contacts on the stand are non-projecting ones, as also preferably are the contacts on the iron.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention as now favored, with the leaf elevated, and with an iron in heating position on the leaf.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 1, with said stop-means shown only at its finger-piece end.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the iron removed and with a part of the stand merely indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, with not only the part of the stand last referred to, but also the base, indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 5 is a vertical central section through electrical diagram illustrative of means associated with the stand for not only transmitting current to the heating elements of the iron but also for transmitting heat to a thermostat carried by the stand in terms of the heat of the iron, this last for operating said signalling means.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, a conventional type of electrically heated iron I0 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as seated on a leaf ll hingedly mounted to allow it to be arranged as illustrated in these views or to be collapsed down against a base l2 as shown in Fig. 4.

For holding the leaf elevated, a pair of bracing legs are suspended from a cross-pin I5, at points adjacent the inner faces of downbent flanges I5 at opposite sides of the leaf ll; said pin passing through said flanges at points near what will be called the rear end of the leaf, and the top of the base In having recesses 16 for receiving the lower ends of the legs l4 when the leaf is swung up as shown in Fig. 1. Sleeve means on the cross-pin 15 for holding the legs said stand part, this view taken on the line 5-5 14 at opposite sides of the leaf will later be described.

The end of the leaf ll opposite to its end carrying the legs I4 is formed as a yoke terminating in a pair of upturned apertured tabs l1, and for hingedly mounting said leaf by means of these tabs the apertures of the latter engage pivot pins [8 secured in bosses l9 at opposite sides of an auxiliary structure IS.

The structure I9 is ofthe configuration shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 to present a rear cavitation shaped to conform to the narrow fore part of an iron. Said structure is, molded or otherwise formed of insulating material, carries foot-lugs 20 whereby it may be secured to the top of the base l2.

At opposite sides of its cavitation, flush with the inner surfaces thereof, the structure I9 has set therein a pair of like and similarly placed contacts one of which is shown at 2|; these for engaging a pair of like contacts one on each of the opposite sides of the forepart of the iron, one of such contacts shown 'at 22. Each contact 22 is in a similar location to the location of the other thereof, and all the contacts are so arranged that when the parts are disposed as in Fig. 1, each contact 2| engages a contact 22 as indicated in that view.

The base [2 is hollow and its interior com- "chambers in the structure is, one of such chambers being indicated at 23 in Fig. 5. Projected downwardly into each such chamber is a conductive extension from the adjacent contact 2|, one of such extensions being indicated at 25 in Fig. 5; whereby conducting elements within the hollow base |2 may be readily engaged, as by soldering, with said extensions.

For energizin the circuit within the hollow base, when the gap in such circuit is bridged by the contacts 22 of the iron and the resistance elements in the latter, the base is provided with a receptacle 25 for receiving a plug 26 carrying current supply and return wires 21 connected with a suitable source of current.

As shown in Fig. 6, where 28 and 29 may be taken as representing the two terminals in the receptacle, the current conducting elements in the base may comprise leads 30 and 3| from the terminals 28 to the conductive extension 24 leading to one of the contacts 2|, and leads 32 and 33 from the terminal 29 to the conductive extension 24 leading to the other contact 2|; so that when, as diagrammatically indicated in this view, the contacts 22 of the iron engage said contacts 2|, the circuit will be completed through the iron in the usual way and through a path including the contacts 22 and a heating means interposed therebetween represented by the resistance 34.

The downbent side flanges l5 of the leaf U have apertures spaced therealong, aligned in pairs across the leaf at right angles to the length thereof, and by way of these apertures rollers 35 are freely turnably mounted so as to be projected at their tops slightly above the upper surface of the leaf through opening 35' in the latter. At each end of a roller it has reduced extensions 35' passing through said apertures, and projecting far enough beyond said flanges to be headed over at opposite sides of the leaf N, as indicated at 35", while loosely retaining alongside the adjacent fiange an apertured disc or washer 35. of Slightly larger diameter than that of a roller 35.

Thus, when the iron I is placed on the elevated leaf N, the iron slides down along the leaf over the rollers 35, while being restrained against side slip from the leaf by the washers 35, until contacts 2| on the iron fiatwisely engage the contacts 22 on the structure I.

Below the leaf N is a lever member 31 having a pair of upbent apertured side tabs 31' and pivotally mounted by way of said apertures on the cross-pin I so as to provide a shorter arm 31 for constituting a finger-piece. For positioning the member 31 centrally of the cross-pin l5, and also to hold the legs l4 against the flanges 15 as already mentioned, sleeves 38 are placed on the cross-pin l5 as indicated in Fig. 3; these sleeves of such length as to coact with the resilient set of the flanges IE to impose a frictional drag on the member 31, whereby the latter, although readily manually moved by its finger-piece 31 to either the full-line position shown in Fig. 1 or to the dot and dash line position there shown, remains in any position to which it has. been manually set.

The member 31, at the free end of its longer arm, is shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to provide a receptor 39 for the bottom of the forward pointed end of the iron IQ. Thus, while ordinarily the iron may be placed on the rollers 35 for slide down all the way along the leaf I until the contacts 22 on the iron engage the contacts 2| on the structure l9, whenever it is desired to,v

place the iron on the leaf, for downward slide over the rollers but not to the extent to set up further heating of the iron, this is readily provided for by pressing down on the finger-piece 31" to cause the receptor 39 to be thrown up to assume the position indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1.

The structure If! carries a means for signalling the fact that the iron has become heated to a predetermined maximum permitted temperature, as, for instance, 320 F.

This signalling means desirably includes a. translucent disc 40 of red glass, plastic or the like, set in a suitable framing fitment, and, behind said disc, in a suitable chamber in the structure 19, a small electric bulb. Such bulb is indicated at 4| in Fig. 6, as is also the disc 40.

Referring to this view, a thermostat, indicated at 42, which may be placed in the hollow base |2, is shown as connected by a heat conductive means, indicated at 43, with a pair of heat conductive plates 44 set symmetrically in the cavitation in the structure IQ for receiving the fore part of the iron. In Fig. 5 one of said plates 44 is shown as extending down into the hollow interior of the base l2. Returning now to Fig. 6, when a temperature properly proportional to the temperature of the iron, in terms of the heat conductivity of the means 43, is transmitted by the latter to the thermostat 42, the bimetallic member 42' thereof will curl upward to engage a contact 45 carried thereby with a fixed contact 46, whereupon the bulb will be energized through the lead 40, a lead 41, the contacts 46 and 45, a lead 48 and the lead 32.

When, with the leaf elevated as in Fig. 1, ironing is finished, the leaf may be collapsed down closely against the top of the base |2, merely by lifting the bottoms of the legs l4 out of the recesses l6, then swinging said legs in under the leaf, and then lowering the leaf and all the parts carried thereby until the leaf and said parts become finally disposed as shown in Fig. 4.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A stand for an electrical pressing iron comprising, an elongated rectangular base having a closed top and an open bottom, an elongated leaf member disposed longitudinally of the top of said base, hinge members on opposed sides of one end of said leaf member and having hinged connection with said base adjacent one end thereof, a concave hood-like element supported on said base intermediate said hinged connections and having the open Side thereof disposed toward said leaf member, said hood member being of an insulating material and provided with contacts on each side thereof adaptable to contact complementary contacts on an iron, legs pivoted one to. each side of said leaf member at that end thereof remote to said hood, indentations in said base cooperating to support the free ends of said legs to maintain them in a substantially vertical position, a lever disposed longitudinally beneath said leaf and having pivoted connection to that end of said leaf supporting said legs, said lever operable against said base to raise said leaf 5 6 member and bring said legs to seat in the base indentations, wiring means carried beneath the REFERENCES CITED top of said base, a, lug outlet on said bas hav- The following references are of record in the ing connection with said wiring to form a circuit file of this patent: to said hood contacts, spaced parallel rollers carried transverse of said leaf member to urge an UNITED STATES PATENTS iron into said hood member, and a thermostat Number Name Date and visual signal in said wiring circuit. 1,468,296 Hodgson Sept. 18, 1923 2,022,986 Spahr Dec. 3, 1935 MAURICE LEVEY. 10 2,405,270 Reiss Aug. 6, 1946 

